Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 March 2004
138 Mr. English asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps he intends to take to ensure that land for future school developments is earmarked for such development when new housing estates are being constructed to ensure that his Department must not spend far more for the land at a later date when commencing school developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9667/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI share the Deputy's concern about the availability of sites for schools and I want to assure the House that my Department has a number of proactive strategies to ensure that the requirement for schools in developing areas are addressed in a manner that provides value for money to the taxpayer. The process of assessing the need for new or additional educational facilities at primary or post-primary level in any given area entails consideration of all relevant factors, including enrolment and demographic trends, housing developments and the capacity of existing schools to meet the demand for places. As part of this process, my Department is included among the prescribed authorities to whom local authorities are statutorily obliged to send draft development plans or proposed variations to development plans. As a matter of course meetings are arranged with local authorities to establish the location, scale and pace of major housing developments and their possible implications for school provision.
Planning school provision is not an exact science. There are no guarantees that planned developments will proceed in the first place or will proceed at the pace previously anticipated. Nor can there be any certainty concerning the profile of people who may occupy developments. This latter factor in particular may result in a disparity between anticipated and actual demand. When planning educational infrastructure, my Department requires a significant degree of certainty that a need for places exists or will exist.
Where emerging or potential need is identified it is the practice to request the local authority to reserve a site for educational purposes. Officials in the school planning section of my Department are strengthening contacts already in place or making contact with the planning authorities in each of the local authorities to enable informed decisions to be made in planning future provision. For example, a specific forum, the Dublin school planning committee, chaired by officials of my Department interacts with the Dublin local authorities. This forum comprises representatives of the local authorities in Dublin together with representatives of the patron bodies of primary schools.
Furthermore, for a number of years officials in my Department have worked proactively with the four local authorities in the Dublin region in monitoring demographic changes and assessing the likely impact of planned new developments. I welcome in particular the identification of strategic development zones as that process creates the correct impetus for the provision of land at reasonable cost for school developments in the context of the overall housing development.
I have indicated my willingness to consider innovative ideas that comply with procurement procedures and will welcome any proposals, aimed at easing the burden on the taxpayer and ensuring educational facilities are provided in a timely fashion.
